Currently many wireless operators use RET (remote electrical tilt) antennas. RET antennas allow wireless operators to remotely control the beam attributes, including, for example, beam direction, of one or more antennas.
Typically, the RET antenna beam attributes are adjusted using motors or actuators according to specifications promulgated by the Antenna Interface Standards Group (AISG). Relevant specifications may be found at http://www.aisg.org.uk (incorporated by reference). While the use of RET antennas has proved advantageous, the setup of such antennas currently requires considerable effort. In order to setup, troubleshoot, and control RET antennas, several different portable controllers may be required. For example, when trouble-shooting RET antenna configurations, crews currently depend on separate electrical measurement and troubleshooting devices which are difficult to use. Additionally crews are often overwhelmed and do not know how to trouble-shoot RET configurations.
When technician crews are on site, wireless operators require the technician crews to provide “close-out-packages” to the wireless operators as a proof of work. A close out package is a key deliverable. Especially during a new installation, preparation of a close out package involves a substantial amount of effort. Currently, technician crews must capture screenshots of controller windows (sometimes with using a camera), manually export selected data, and manually measure and record the location of the antenna with a GPS receiver. Often, the disparate sources of information are manually collected and written to a CD ROM or DVD ROM. Photographs of display screens may be saved in directories on the disks.
The initial azimuth direction of an antenna is often a requirement of the wireless operator, and may depend on topography and the location of physical obstructions. In one known method of alignment, a technician may aim the antenna with the aid of a magnetic compass. However, the antennas being aimed, and the structures on which they are mounted, may introduce significant magnetic deviation to the compass, which adversely affects the accuracy of the installation. In an alternative known method, technician crews depend on complex and expensive alignment devices to align each antenna so that the main beam direction points to the desired azimuth direction. In one example, an alignment tool includes two GPS antennas on arms sufficiently long so that a GPS receiver can detect the location of each arm and thereby determine an azimuth angle for the alignment tool. A disadvantage of such a tool is that arms sufficiently long to make the tool effective are also sufficiently long to make the tool cumbersome and difficult to use on a cell phone antenna tower.